After all preparations ‘The Bengal Files’ trailer launch stopped; Vivek Agnihotri says ‘people cut wires’

KOLKATA: A ruckus erupted during the release of ‘The Bengal Files’ trailer in Kolkata today. After all the preparations for the trailer launch at ITC Royal Bengal, the hotel organisers were not allowing the Bengal Files trailer launch to take place.

Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri asked everyone to calm down, “Please bear with us..I mean, all this happened with the permissions and approvals, and now, at the last minute, they are saying that they have got some instructions that we cannot play (trailer)…Please sit down..you can see what is happening it seems there are two constitutions in India..one Indian constitution and one special constitution that runs here…”

#WATCH | West Bengal | A ruckus erupted during the release of ‘The Bengal Files’ trailer in Kolkata today. Actor Pallavi Joshi alleges the trailer launch was not allowed.

Actor Pallavi Joshi says, ” I absolutely did not like the way my film was stopped. Is there freedom of… pic.twitter.com/nKC3ACIV7a

— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2025

He alleged disruption during trailer launch of his film, saying, “If this is not dictatorship/fascism, then what is?…Law and order in your state has failed, and this is the reason that everyone supports ‘The Bengal Files’…” “I have just got to know what some people came here (event venue in a private hotel) and cut all the wires. I don’t know on whose orders this is happening? You know who those people are behind us. After all tests and trials, this program was being held. The hotel managers still can’t tell us why we are not allowed to continue with our program…”

Agnihotri earlier opened up on the cancellation of the trailer launch event of ‘The Bengal Files’ by a leading movie theatre chain and why he decided to unveil the trailer today, August 16.

While speaking, he said, “Mai America se aaya aur seedhe Kolkata pahucha kyunki trailer launch tha and movie trailers are generally launched in theatres; however, when I reached the airport, I came to know that one of the largest multiplex chains said that they can’t do it because there is a lot of political pressure and if they do it, there will be a political turmoil. So we spoke to another multiplex, they also said that ‘sorry sir’, there is a lot of political pressure, we can’t do it’. If we had known this from the start, why would we have taken on so many teams and actors and spent so much money to come here..”

The film explores the communal violence in undivided Bengal during the 1940s, including events like 1946 Direct Action Day and the Noakhali riots of 1946, a Hindu genocide.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal | ‘The Bengal Files’ director Vivek Agnihotri alleges disruption during trailer launch of his film, he says, ” If this is not dictatorship/fascism, then what is?…Law and order in your state has failed, and this is the reason that everyone supports… pic.twitter.com/rjQc0jh7iR

— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2025

He added, “Aur Direct Action Day,.. Hindu genocide, Murshidabad riots suki film ka trailer kahan launch hona chahiye, Kolkata mein hi hona chahiye..par mai bhi harne vaalon se nahi hu..to aisa pehli baar ho raha hai mera ye andaaz hai ki film ka trailer theatre ki jagah hotel ke banquet hall mein..but mai janna chahta hu hamari awaaz dabane ki koshish kyu ho rahi hai..(And where should the trailer of the film dealing with Direct Action Day, Hindu genocide, Murshidabad riots, be launched.. It should be launched in Kolkata only, but I’m not one of the losers, so this is happening for the first time, I guess that the trailer of the film is being launched in the banquet hall of a hotel instead of a theatre..to hamari awaaz ko dabane ki koshish kyu ki ja rahi hai (but I want to know why efforts are being made to suppress our voice..)

Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, ‘The Bengal Files’ features actors Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi.It is focused on the events of the “Direct Action Day,” aiming to unveil the “most brutal chapter” of Indian history. A poster of the film was unveiled on Friday morning, promising to deliver the “boldest film.”‘The Bengal Files’ is slated to hit theatres on September 5, 2025. (ANI)